Add drivers to Shadow Protect CD

Discussion in 'backup, imaging & disk mgmt' started by JDGILL, Oct 4, 2011.

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  1. JDGILL

    JDGILL Registered Member

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    I know I can load drivers once the recovery environment has loaded but is it possible to add drivers direct to the ISO so that they are loaded automatically when I boot from the CD? If so where to put them?

    I don't think StorageCraft likes the idea of messing with the ISO but Ghost for example lets you add custom drivers to the recovery disk.
     
  2. Divenow

    Divenow Registered Member

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  3. Robin A.

    Robin A. Registered Member

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  4. JDGILL

    JDGILL Registered Member

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  5. napoleon1815

    napoleon1815 Registered Member

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    I believe there are ways to use an app to open the ISO, edit it (add the drivers), then burn it up. I'll see what I can find...
     
  6. andyman35

    andyman35 Registered Member

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  7. Robin A.

    Robin A. Registered Member

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    The general procedure is to modify the .WIM image, which is in the ISO: K:\SOURCES\BOOT.WIM.

    You need to extract this file from the ISO. This can be done using 7-Zip or an ISO tool like UltraISO.

    To modifiy the .WIM, adding the drivers to it, you need the 32.bit drivers (in .INF files). In Windows 7, the WIM can be modified easily using DISMGUI (see previous post).

    The modified .WIM is then used to replace the previous .WIM, and then a new ISO file is created. This can be done with UltraISO.

    With the new ISO, you can burn a boot disc or create a boot USB key.

    An alternate procedure is to use the original ISO to create a boot USB key, modify the WIM and replace it directly in the USB. In this case, you need DISMGUI, but not UltraISO nor 7-Zip.

    Note: some of the above posts refer to create a WinPE. This is not needed here. The WinPE already exists. It is only necessary to modify it, adding some drivers. The AIK is not needed at all.
     
    Last edited: Oct 4, 2011
  8. napoleon1815

    napoleon1815 Registered Member

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    UltraISO...that's the tool I couldn't think of...thanks Robin A.!
     
  9. JDGILL

    JDGILL Registered Member

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    Thanks for the help.

    Managed to extract the files from the ISO but dismgui throws an error when I try and mount the wim file - any other tools that si a similar thing?
     
  10. Robin A.

    Robin A. Registered Member

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    What is the error? Are you running DISMGUI in Windows 7 as Administrator? Did you create a new MOUNT directory? Did you point DISMGUI to the location of the BOOT.WIM file?
     
  11. JDGILL

    JDGILL Registered Member

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    Managed to do it from the command line - the dismgui kept giving error code 87 when I tried to add drivers.

    Thanks for all your help :)
     
  12. Robin A.

    Robin A. Registered Member

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    If the WIM was mounted correctly, there can be problems with the drivers.

    Is there any problem when you add the drivers manually after booting from the WinPE? Are they added and work as expected?

    Note: if you are going to repeat the process to modify the WIM, be sure to delete the MOUNT directory and create a new one each time. Also, delete it so that it is not kept in the Recycle Bin.
     
  13. JDGILL

    JDGILL Registered Member

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    The drivers work when added manually and also when I boot from the 'comnmand line' DISM modified CD.
    I do intend to give it another go with DISMGUI however as I think it is most likely something I did wrong. I'm on a 64bit system but the SP CD is 32 bit - not sure if that could cause a problem - the drivers I added are 32 bit of course.

    The disk is working fine though so I'm happy with the result :)
     
  14. napoleon1815

    napoleon1815 Registered Member

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    Awesome...thanks for keeping the thread updated with your progress.
     
  15. dallen

    dallen Registered Member

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    Sorry if this question shows my newbie status, but I have never done this before. I really appreciate the information provided in this thread. I have used Shadow Protect for a long time and I love it. One thing has annoyed me though. One of my computers only has access to the network via wi-fi and due to the lack of a driver I cannot image/restore the system over the network like I do with my other computer. I am thinking that I can fix that if I add the wireless network adapter driver to the Shadow Protect .iso file as you've described. However, if this is successful I am afraid that I will run into another issue (network key). Will I have to manually type the network key each time? Or is there a way to add the key to the .iso as well?

    Thanks for the comments that follow.
     
  16. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    dallen,

    I don't think it can be done from a WinPE boot disk. But please correct me if this is wrong.

    You can certainly restore an image (using WPA2 wireless) with a Linux boot disk. The disk can be setup so it contains the WPA2 key. And with Wireless N this is a practical procedure as it's not much slower than a 100 Mbit/s cable.
     
  17. dallen

    dallen Registered Member

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    Brian K,
    I am already able to take and restore images to a NAS over my LAN using Shadow Protect as long as my computers are wired. The current issue is that Shadow Protect does not see the wireless network adapter on my laptop. After reading this thread, I am thinking that I could re-build the Shadow Protect .ISO containing the driver for the wireless network adapter using the method(s) discussed in this thread. However, if I am able to get it to work, I will still have the issue of having to manually enter a ridiculously long and random (for security) network key. I am wondering if there is a way to store this key within the .ISO so that it can either be automatically inserted or at least copy and pasted.

    Correct me if I am misunderstanding your answer, but you seem to suggest that the WPA2 key can be stored within a linux boot disk; however, "it [imaging wirelessly] can't be done from a WinPE boot disk" seems to suggest that imaging over a network can't be done using Shadow Protect. I can already do the imaging over a network part...I'm just trying to find out how to build in the wireless network adapter driver so that Shadow Protect recognizes it and somehow store the network key so that it is accessible from within Shadow Protect.
     
  18. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    dallen,

    Sure. You can create an SP image over your wireless network from Windows. But I don't think you can create or restore an image from a WinPE boot disk using wireless. I've been trying to do this for years and I tried again last night with an Active@ Boot Disk. You can load drivers from the Load Driver choice and Active@ can see the wireless NIC but you can't do anything with the NIC.
     
  19. dallen

    dallen Registered Member

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    Brian K,
    If what I'm trying to do is repackage the SP .ISO containing the drivers and key, why is it necessary to be able to this using WinPE boot disk?
     
  20. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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  21. dallen

    dallen Registered Member

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    Brian K,
    That makes your previous post make more sense to me. Are you saying that SP allows for the taking and restoring of images via wired networks, but not wireless? So, even if I am successful at getting SP set up to recognize my wireless network adapter I probably will not be able to image wirelessly?
     
  22. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    dallen,

    If you have SP installed in your wireless laptop you should be able to create an image of the OS partition and write the image to another networked computer using your wireless setup. What you can't do is the reverse. You can't restore that image without using a network cable. Make sense or is it still unclear?
     
  23. dallen

    dallen Registered Member

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    Makes sense. I don't use the installation of SP. I do all of my imaging from the CD. I will just have to continue imaging to a removable drive I guess. Thanks for your help Brian K.
     
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